Monday 25 April 2011 08.11 EDT
First published on Monday 25 April 2011 08.11 EDT

An investigation has begun into the death of an 11-year-old boy who fell from a newly opened zip wire ride at a theme park in Wales.

The boy, who has not been identified, was airlifted to hospital after falling on Sunday at Greenwood Forest Park, at Y Felinheli, Gwynedd.

The ride, called the SwampFlyer, opened the previous Monday. The park said all equipment had been checked on Sunday morning and was in good condition.

The park was shut on Easter Monday and park officials said they were co-operating with police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Officers were called to the park at 4.40pm on Sunday. The boy was pronounced dead in hospital.

The 145m (475ft) SwampFlyer is said to be the longest zip wire ride in Wales and goes up to a height of 9m. Those who ride it launch themselves off a cliff and go through tree tops and over a swamp.

When the ride was opened the park said it was open to "visitors of almost all age groups".

Huw Price Hughes, a local councillor who was at the launch and rode the SwampFlyer, said: "It's shaken the whole area and we can all extend our condolences to the family at such a tragic loss."

He said the park was an important contributor to the local economy, employing more than 100 people during summer.

In a statement on its website, the park said: "There was a tragic accident at Greenwood Forest Park on Easter Sunday. We have always put safety as our number one priority and we are determined to understand fully what has happened.

"An 11-year-old boy died when he fell from the zip wire – he was airlifted to hospital but his life could not be saved. All the equipment was checked at 10am in the morning and was all in good condition.

"We are co-operating fully with the police and the Health and Safety Executive in their investigation. We have always put safety as our number one priority and we are determined to understand fully what has happened. As a mark of respect to the family concerned we are closing the park on Easter Monday. Our thoughts and sympathy are with the family of the boy."